Revelations as Senator, Accuser Trade Claims over Alleged Bandit Links

The controversy over alleged connections between prominent Nigerians and armed groups in northern Nigeria has taken a new turn following fresh claims by a man identified as Hassan against a northern senator.

Hassan, whose allegations have circulated widely on social media, said his knowledge of notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide dates back to their childhood. He claimed they grew up in the same community and were friends before Gide later became involved in banditry.

According to Hassan, he later moved to Rivers State, where he was raised and completed his formal education, while Gide remained in their home community. He said their paths crossed again years later in connection with his work at the senator’s residence.

Hassan alleged that his educational background allowed him to observe activities around the lawmaker’s residence that he considered suspicious. He claimed he secretly recorded some of the activities and kept the materials on a memory card.

He also claimed that his familiarity with Gide and other people allegedly linked to bandit groups came from knowing some of them before they became involved in criminal activities.

Hassan further alleged that Gide had little formal education and struggled with operating a mobile phone, which he said gave him an opportunity to obtain certain recordings.

He claimed his activities were eventually discovered at the senator’s residence and that an attempt was allegedly made to have him killed. Hassan said Gide secretly warned him about the alleged plan, allowing him to escape.

He said he later left Nigeria with some of the materials he believed contained evidence of what he had witnessed, although some of the materials were lost during his escape.

The senator has rejected the allegations and questioned Hassan’s failure to present any evidence to security agencies.

The lawmaker said his relationship with Hassan began after the young man was introduced to his foundation as an orphan who needed educational assistance. He claimed to have supported Hassan’s education and helped him pursue both Western and Islamic studies.

The senator said he became concerned when Hassan abandoned his education and decided to go into car dealing.

He also accused Hassan of secretly taking photographs and recording videos of people who visited his residence before their relationship broke down.

The lawmaker denied having any connection with banditry and said complaints over the allegations had already been reported to security agencies. He added that arrests had been made during investigations and that the matter was now before the court.

The senator was identified by Hassan in the recent interview as the politician he had previously accused without naming.

Hassan also alleged that people connected to Dogo Gide were taken to Abuja and attempted to link the development to individuals associated with the senator. These claims have not been independently verified.

Dogo Gide has previously been identified in reports as a prominent figure among bandit groups operating in parts of northern Nigeria. In 2021, reports identified him as one of the leaders of armed groups operating around Niger and Kaduna states.

The Nigeria Police also said in 2023 that a suspect arrested over the abduction of students of Federal Government College, Yauri, confessed to taking part in the operation with Kachala Dogo Gide, whom the police described as a gang leader who commanded about 100 men during the attack.

Despite the renewed accusations, there is no court finding establishing the allegations against the senator.

The lawmaker has maintained that the claims are aimed at damaging his reputation and political career. He has challenged Hassan to submit any evidence in his possession to the appropriate security authorities.

The dispute has therefore produced two sharply different accounts. Hassan says his childhood relationship with Dogo Gide and his later experiences gave him access to information about an alleged network involving influential people, while the senator maintains that Hassan was once a beneficiary of his educational support before their relationship deteriorated.